The present invention relates to a locking apparatus for a compartment door of a motor vehicle which is operated by a key.
As shown in FIG. 1, a locking apparatus a of the sort in the prior art includes a rotor b rotated by a key (not shown) between a locking position and a releasing position (the position shown in FIG. 1). Provided on the front face of the rotor is a pair of pins, which are engageable with pistons d respectively at the releasing position. This engagement enables the pistons to rotate the rotor anticlockwise until it reaches to a door-opening position where the rotor releases the door to open. While in order to rotate the rotor clockwise until it reaches to the locking position where the rotor locks the door, the pistons should be disposed in such a manner that the pistons do not interfere with the pins. If the pistons interfere with the pins, it is impossible to rotate the rotor to the locking position. Accordingly the distance L between the pin and the piston at the releasing position is fairly long, so the stroke of the pistons is considerably long. The long stroke of pistons enlarges the apparatus and increases its production cost.